Apparatus for making all-plastic molded buttons



Jam.. 23, 1945. W F. REIBOLD EVAL 2,367,962

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ALL-PLASTIC MOLDED BUTTONS Filed Feb. 15, 1945 Z 7.//6 A z/ ,7c

Tl-E.-

fi WAI-'TER F. RE|BOLD RENE, P. MAGNENAT Patented J. 23, 1.945

STATES FFICE PATENTA PARATS FOR MAKING ALL-PLASTIC MOLDED BUTTONS Applieautn February is, i943, serai No. 475,802 l Z Claims.

One object o the present invention is to provide an apparatus for manufacturing an allplastic button comprising a two-section mold, one section of which includes a split knock-out rod having two spreadable jaws hinged to said rod and adapted to form a core for producing the aperture of the button eye.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate, compact, and very efficient and durable in use. With these and other objects in view, there has beenllustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Figure i represents a perspective inverted view of an all-plastic integral eye button embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional View of an apparatus for molding the button, as it appears in closed position.

Figure 3 is a similar sectional view of the molding apparatus shown in Figure 2, but taken at right angles from the View shown in Figure 2.

`Referring now to the drawing inv which like reference numeralsdenote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral it generaliy indicates an improved all-plastic integral eye button manufactured by a molding apparatus embodying the present invention.

The button ill is provided with an embossed top surface il, an intermediate body i2, and a circular integral eye i3 projecting rearwardly from the body at the central part thereof, said 'eye being ring-shaped, and all of the parts, of Said button comprising a single unitary piece oi molded plastic material.

Molding apparatus in order to produce the al1-plastic integral eye button shown in Figure 41, provision is made of a special molding apparatusillustrated in Figures 2 and 3 oi the drawing. As shown, this molding' apparatus comprises a cooperating bottom die iti and a top apertured force i5 which are adapted to be iitted together with their edgesin abutment. As clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing the force i5 and the die ill are embraced by a pair of upper and lower mold section s 65aand ita preferably operated hydraulically, and capable of exerting extremely high pressure upon said top force and said bottom die for compressing the molded plastic material i2 therebetween under the proper temperature conditions.

5 ino-setting or It will be understood that any suitable plastic material may be employed for molding the improved all-plastic button of the present invention, and that said material may be either theru thermo-plastic? Preferably, however, the molding material will be of the type known as urea plastic composition.

The upper mold section ita is provided with a circular bore iS within which is fitted a split l0 knock-out rod il as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. The knock-out rod I'i is provided with a pair of separablejaws I8 and i9 which are hinged to the upper body ia of the knock-out rod il by means of a pair of spaced pivot pins 2, 2i. The jaws i8 and i9, when in 26 tions 23 and 2li, the flat surfaces thereof being located within the center ofthe mold and being adapted to form a core for producing the circular aperture 2lb within the eye i3'.

Provision is also made of a spreading pin 22 25 which passes through the bore i6 of the upper mold section l-5a and is seated at its opposite ends in the sides of said upper mold section 55a.

t will be understood from the above construction that the plastic molding material will iirst 39 be placed between the bottom die iti and the upper torceA it. The latter will then be moved downwardly with respect to the former, causing the plastic material to ow upwardly through the aperture formed within the abutting sections 23 and Ztl of the jaws i8 and is to produce the pro- Jecting integral ring-shaped eye I3 of the button i0.

It will also be understood that the abutting sections 23 and Ell of the jaws i8 and i9 will serve i0 as a core for forming the cavity 2lb within the center of the button eye i3 and will mold the exterior surfacel of said eye.

Operation When itis desired to `remove a button lll from the molding apparatus after the molding process has been completed, the lower die it will rst be separated from the force i5, thus exposing the embossed surface i i of the button.

While holding the force i5 and the upper `mold section i511, stationary, the knock-out core rod Il as a unit will next be driven down to remove the eye i3 out of the force i5 with a suitable tool (not shown) ,which may be inserted through an aperture llc in. the bridge member Iib which as desired.

`forms an abutment for homing the core maar in completed button I m'ay thereafter be readily separated from the force i and placed in a suitable receptacle. I

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the speciiic disclosure but may be modied and embodied in various otherforms without departing from its spirit. 1n short, the invention includes all modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

. Having thus fully described the invention and what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent'is:

1. An'apparatus for molding a one-piece allplastic button having an integral circular eye from plastic material, comprising a bottom die, an upper force fitting upon said die, an upper mold section embracing said force, said force and upper mold section having alinecl apertures forming a bore, a split knockout core rod tightly tted into said bore and free to move therein, said core rod comprising a connecting element and a pair of side jaws hinged at their upper ends to said element, the adjacent portions of said jaws being cut away to form an interior slot, a jaw-spreading pin anchored in said upper mold section at the sides of said bore and adapted to pass loosely through said interior slot, the lower extremities of said jaws having faces shaped to abut each other and forming a core for producing the aperture in the circular eye of the plastic button formed in said apparatus. l

2. An apparatus for molding a one-piece allplastic button having an integral circular eye from plastic' material.- comprising a bottom die, an upper force fitting upon said die, an upper mold section embracing said force, said force and upper mold section having alined apertures forming a bore, a split knockout vcore rod tightly part or said force. so as to permit said pin to spread said jaws apart to disengage the lower abutting portions of said Jaws from the eye otA said button, whereby the latter may be readily removed from said apparatus when 'said knockout rodis driven downwardly with respect to said .upper mold section and said force.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which the outer surfaces of said jaws are provided with elongated recesses intermediate the ends ot said jaws to clear the inner edges of said force so that when said knockout rod is depressed to .bringsaid pin below said force there will be no obstruction to the spreading apart of said jaws b y said pin 'to permit thebutton eye-to be separated from saidrod.

5. An apparatus for molding a one-piece allplastic article having an integral projecting circular apertured eye from moldable plastic material comprising: a pair of cooperating die sections shaped to 1li; against each other, an outer mold section embracing one of said die sections, said outer mold section and the die section embraced thereby having alined apertures forming a central bore, a split knockoutJ rod iitted into said bore and movable therein, and including a pair oi jaws, said jaws having abutting lower ends tightly iitted into said bore during'the molding operation and shaped to form the aperture or the circular eye, the intermediate portion of said jaws having inner and outer recesses, said inner recesses forming a slot, a jaw spreading pin passing through said bore and anchored in said outer mold section, said pinbeing adapted to pass freely through the slot formed by the inner recesses of said jaws, the outer recesses of said jaws being shaped to clear the inner edges of said embraced die section when said knockout iitted into said bore and free t`o move therein,

' core for producing the aperture in the .circular eye of the plastic button formed in said apparatus.

3. The apparatus as dened in'claim I, in

rcd is driven downwardly to bring the top of said slot into engagement with said spreading pin, so as to permit removal of said molded article from the mold.

6. The apparatus asset forth in claiml in which the upper ends of the cut-away portions of said jaws are inclined to form cams for facilitating the spreading apart oi said. jaws when said cams strike said pin.

7. An apparatus for molding from plastic material a one-piece all-plastic button having an. integral protruding shank, comprising a bottom die, an upper force tting upon said die, an upper` mold section embracing said force, said force and upper mold section having aligned apertures forming a bore, a split knockout core rod snugly iitted into said bore and free to move therein, said core rod comprising an upper connesting .pin and a pair of cooperating side jaws vhinged at their upper ends to said pin, the adjacent portions of said side jaws being cut away to form an interior slot, and jawspreading means extending loosely through, said interior slot and anchored in said upper moldsection at the sides of said bore, the lower ends of said which the length of said interior slot in said Y jaws is greater than the thickness of the central jaws tting tightly in said bore during the molding' operation and having protuberances extending linwardly toward each other.

WAL'I'ER F'. 'RmBoLn REN P. MAGNENAT. 

